MANITOBA HORTICULTURAL ASSOCIATION

 CONSTITUTION

Adopted by the Executive Committee January 13, 1932.

Revised Constitution adopted at the Annual General Meeting of the Manitoba Horticultural Association on the 26th day of January, 1996.

 

* Amended January 29, 2016

* Amended January 27, 2012

* Amended February 4, 2005

* Amended February 2, 2001

* Amended February 4, 2000

 

Article 1 – Name

The name of the Association shall be the Manitoba Horticultural Association.

 

Article 2 – Objectives

  1. To promote interest in horticulture and to act as a source of information to Association members and to the general public.

 

  1. To encourage horticultural activities and to recognize achievement in this field.

 

3   To sponsor educational seminars, courses, and workshops.

 

  1. To promote the unification of horticultural societies and garden clubs and act as a central agency to horticultural societies and garden clubs.

 

  1. To co-operate with other associations, societies, clubs, and groups with similar objectives.

 

  1. To operate as a non-profit organization.

  

Article 3 – Membership

  1. Any society/club interested in the objectives of the Association, shall be eligible for membership, upon payment of the designated annual fee.

 

  1. The classes of membership shall be:
  2. i) Society/club ii) Honorary – non voting iii) Associate – non voting

The Association may set up new classes of membership when desired at any Annual General Meeting, by a majority vote.

  

Article 4 – Rights and Privileges of Membership

  1. Member societies/clubs may appoint delegates to the Annual General Meeting or any other duly authorized meeting of the Association, to take part in discussions and to exercise the right to vote on matters concerning the Association. In the absence of any delegate, the delegates present from that society/club ay cast a vote for the absent delegate, providing they carry the proper credentials signed by the officers of the society/club they represent.  In the absence of a society\club representative, a proxy vote may be given to another society/club or member of the board of the Manitoba Horticultural Association providing they carry the proper credentials signed by the officers of the society/club they represent.

 

The number of voting delegates shall be:

200 or fewer members – 2 delegates

201-400 members – 3 delegates

401-600 members – 4 delegates

601 and up – 5 delegates

 

  1. Individuals of member societies/clubs may be appointed to any office or committee of the Association.

 

  1. Member societies/clubs shall receive all publications and information the Association may issue.

 

  1. Member societies/clubs may participate in educational programs sponsored by the Association.

 

Article 5 – Dues

  1. The dues of the Association shall be set by the members attending the Annual General Meeting, and apply from the first day of March to the last day of February of each year.
  2. Notice of membership dues shall appear in the first Newsletter of the year. Member societies/clubs in arrears shall be dropped from the Association after April 30th.

Article 6 – Fiscal Year

The fiscal year of the Association shall be October 1st to September 30th of the following year.

Article 7 – The Board of Directors

The Board of Directors may consist of nine (9) elected Directors.  The Association shall be governed by the Board of Directors.  The Association, at the Annual General Meeting has the option to increase or decrease the number of elected Directors as may be deemed necessary.

 Article 8 – Regions

Member societies/clubs are incorporated into specific regions, and each region shall be represented by a regional Director on the Board of Directors of the Association.  The boundaries of the regions shall be reviewed annually and shall be revised as may be deemed necessary.

Article 9 – Election of Directors

  1. Prior to each Annual General Meeting the regional Directors of the Association shall be nominated and elected by the societies/clubs within their region and ratified at the Annual General Meeting.
  2. Each of the directors shall be at the time of his /her election and throughout his/her term of office a member in good standing of a member society/club.
  3. Regional Directors of the Association shall hold office from the close of the Annual General Meeting at which they are elected until the close of the Annual General Meeting at which their successors are elected. In the event of a vacancy for any reason, the Board of Directors shall appoint a successor to complete the term vacated until the next Annual General Meeting.  At which time there is such a vacancy the societies/clubs within that region shall be asked to nominate and elect a successor for the remainder of the said term, to be ratified at the Annual General Meeting.
  4. Providing written notice one month prior to the scheduled meeting has been given to the Board of Directors of the Association, the societies/clubs within a region may, by resolution passed by at least two-thirds of the votes cast at a special regional meeting of which notice specifying the intention to introduce such a resolution has been given, remove the director representing their region, before the expiration of his/her term of office. The meeting shall be chaired by a Director of the Association appointed by the Executive Committee of the Association.
  5. The Association shall annually appoint an auditor.

Article 10 – Officers

The Officers of the Association shall consist of:  President and Vice President, and shall be elected from the Directors annually as provided for at the first meeting of the Board of Directors immediately after the Annual General Meeting; and a Secretary and Treasurer shall be appointed annually at the first meeting of the Board of Directors immediately after the Annual General Meeting.

  1. President: The President shall:-

a) Direct the affairs of the Association in accordance with the Bylaws.

b) Preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors and at all general meetings.

c) Call all members of the Board of Directors as needed.

d) Communicate anything of concern to the Association.

 

  1. Vice President:

    The Vice President shall take the place of the President in his/her absence.

  1. Secretary: The Secretary shall:-

a) Record minutes of all meetings.

b) Distribute minutes of all meetings to all Board Members and chairpersons of all committees.

c) Be responsible for preparing and distributing newsletters and information pertaining to the activities of the Association.

d) Keep records of the Association including all documents which pertain to the office.

e) Deliver all books, papers, and other property of the Association at the expiration of his/her term of office.

     The Secretary may be appointed to any committee of the Association.

 

  1. Treasurer: The Treasurer shall:-

a) Receive and record all monies received on behalf of the Association, and deposit the same in a Chartered Bank or Trust Company on behalf of the Association.

b) Distribute such funds on behalf of the Association.

c) Prepare financial statements for the General and Annual General meetings.

d) Present an audited financial statement at Annual General meetings.

e) Deliver all books, papers and other property of the Association at the expiration of his /her term of office.

     The Treasurer may be appointed to any committee of the Association.

 

Article 11 – Signing Officers

At the first meeting of the Board of Directors, immediately after the Annual General Meeting, three (3) signing officers shall be appointed.  Signatures of any two (2) of the signing officers shall be required for withdrawals made on behalf of the Association.

 

Article 12 – Meetings

  1. The Annual General Meeting shall be held at a time and place to be determined by the membership, and shall not be later than March 1st of each year. Written notice thereof shall be posted to all members of record not later than thirty (30) days prior to the date of said meeting.
  2. The President shall call meetings of the Board of Directors or of the general membership on written request.
  3. Quorum: A quorum at any regularly called meeting of the general membership shall consist of not less than twelve (12) voting members and at a regularly called meeting of the Board of Directors shall be no less than four (4) Directors.

Article 13 – Standing Committees

  1. As soon as is practical, after the Annual General Meeting, the President shall appoint chairpersons for the following Committees:

a) Finance

b) Ways and Means

c) Judges\Judging Standards

d) Newsletter

e) Weir Memorial Library

f) Stevenson Memorial Board

g) Skinner Memorial Library

h) Nominations Facilitator

i) Manitoba Horticultural Societies Award Fund

j) Resolutions

The Board of Directors has the option to create additional committees as required. The Chairperson of each committee has the power to add to the personnel of his/her committee as he/she deems necessary.  Should the President fail to appoint such committees, the previous committee shall continue to act until notified of their successors.  Chairpersonship shall be a ONE YEAR TERM of office.

  1. All Standing Committee chairpersons shall report annually to the Annual General Meeting.

 

Article 14 – Honoraria

The Board of Directors shall have authority to designate specific honoraria, if and when it is deemed advisable.

Article 15 – Changes in Constitution

The Constitution of the Association may be amended, revised or repealed by a two-thirds vote at the Annual General Meeting, provided written notice of such amendments is distributed by the Board of Directors to member societies/clubs not less than six months prior to the Annual General Meeting.

 

Signature   ____________________________

Brent Hunter, President

 

Signature   ____________________________

Tracy Theriault, Secretary/Treasurer